Singapore will impose financial sanctions against four Israelis and ban them from entering the country, the foreign ministry said on Friday, accusing them of “gross acts of extreme violence” against Palestinians in the West Bank.
The ministry said the actions of Meir Mordechai Ettinger, Elisha Yered, Ben-Zion Gopstein and Baruch Marzel in the West Bank were illegal and threatened the prospects for a two-state solution in Palestine.
– As a firm supporter of international law and the two-state solution, Singapore opposes any unilateral attempts to change the facts on the ground by acts that are illegal under international law – the ministry said.
All four were previously subject to European Union sanctions.
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan announced in parliament in September that leaders of Israeli settlement groups would be sanctioned.
He also criticized Israeli politicians who talked about annexing parts of the West Bank or Gaza – two Palestinian territories under Israeli occupation – and warned that the E1 settlement project would further fragment the West Bank.
Apart from imposing sanctions, Balakrishnan said Singapore would recognize a Palestinian state under appropriate conditions.
Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the area and arguing that the settlements contribute to security.
Although Singapore and Israel have maintained close diplomatic and military relations since 1965, Singapore voted in 2024 for multiple resolutions supporting the recognition of a Palestinian state within the United Nations.
(Vijesti.ba)
